At Sage Wellness, we support cardiovascular health through functional lab review, health coaching, and lifestyle education. 

Cardiovascular health is central to overall wellbeing. Whether you have a family history of heart disease, want to understand your cholesterol picture more deeply, or are simply committed to prevention and long-term vitality, a functional wellness approach can reveal risk patterns that standard testing often misses.

Dr. Marie Andersson holds an Advanced Functional Cardiology Certification from the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine (AARM), along with over 27 years of experience in functional and integrative wellness. This training informs her ability to review advanced cardiovascular lab markers, identify lifestyle patterns that influence heart health, and develop personalized coaching plans focused on prevention and optimal longevity.

Signs That May Suggest Cardiovascular Imbalance

Many early indicators of cardiovascular stress are subtle and often attributed to other causes. Patterns we commonly see in people seeking cardiovascular wellness support include:

• Elevated blood pressure or significant fluctuations
• Elevated cholesterol or triglycerides on standard labs
• Chest tightness or awareness of heart rate
• Shortness of breath with exertion
• Fatigue or reduced exercise tolerance
• Poor circulation including cold hands or feet
• Swelling in the legs or ankles
• Headaches or brain fog
• Family history of heart disease or stroke

Even without obvious symptoms, patterns like systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance can affect cardiovascular health over time. Functional lab review can help surface these patterns early, when lifestyle changes have the greatest impact.

Functional Lab Panels We May Review

Standard cholesterol panels provide only a basic snapshot. We review advanced functional cardiology markers to build a much more complete picture of cardiovascular risk patterns. These are reviewed in a wellness coaching context to guide lifestyle and nutritional recommendations — not as a substitute for medical evaluation. We may review:

• Advanced Lipid Testing: Lipoprotein particle size and number (LDL-P, HDL subtypes), ApoB, Lp(a)
• Inflammatory Markers: hs-CRP, fibrinogen, homocysteine
• Oxidative Stress Markers: OxLDL, 8-OHdG
• Insulin and Glucose Markers: Fasting insulin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR
• Genetic Markers: MTHFR, ApoE, and other SNPs associated with cardiovascular risk patterns
• Nutrient Testing: Magnesium, CoQ10, Omega-3 index, B vitamins — all relevant to heart muscle and vascular function
• Toxin and Heavy Metal Assessment: Lead, mercury, and cadmium have been linked to vascular health concerns

We encourage patients to share these results with their cardiologist or primary care provider for clinical interpretation alongside any wellness coaching recommendations we make.

How We Support Cardiovascular Health

Based on lab findings and your individual health history, we provide coaching and education on the lifestyle factors most strongly associated with long-term cardiovascular health:

• Anti-inflammatory dietary approaches and their specific relevance to cholesterol and blood pressure
• Omega-3 and nutrient support through diet and professional-grade supplements
• Blood sugar and insulin management through low-glycemic eating and lifestyle strategies
• Movement recommendations tailored to your current fitness and cardiovascular status
• Stress management and sleep optimization, both of which significantly affect cardiovascular risk markers
• Guidance on reducing environmental toxin exposure that may affect vascular health

Our goal is to help you understand your cardiovascular health picture more fully and make informed, sustainable lifestyle changes.